On 30 December 2025, Bangladesh adopted the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, introducing a full ban for production, import/export, storage, sale, of e-cigarettes and comparable categories of products, with immediate impact across the entire supply chain. Severe penalties apply, including up to 6 months’ imprisonment and/or fines of up to Tk 500,000 (approx. €3,506.55). The definition of “tobacco products” is expanded to also include nicotine pouches. In short, the country is taking a prohibitionist approach, with a high enforcement and penalty risk for both operators and consumers.

Azerbaijan has announced its intention to introduce new legislation on e-cigarettes, aimed at strengthening control mechanisms and establishing a new penalties framework. The implementing details (including fine amounts and enforcement tools) will be set out through secondary legislation following adoption of the law. The main stated rationale is the protection of minors and the reduction of use among young people, referring to World Health Organization (WHO) data indicating significantly higher e-cigarette use among minors than among adults. The proposal also aims to introduce a clearer and more distinct classification between traditional tobacco, heated tobacco products, and e-cigarettes, in line with regulatory practices adopted internationally. The regulatory direction points towards a tightening of the framework for the e-cig segment. It is therefore crucial to monitor the implementing measures that will concretely define the scope, obligations, and enforcement modalities.

China has recently introduced the first official regulatory framework for the nicotine pouches market and, more broadly, for oral nicotine products through a measure dated 6 January 2025 (published on 9 January 2026). The new rules entered into force immediately, bringing an end to a long-standing regulatory gap. The STMA (State Tobacco Monopoly Administration) defines “smokeless products” as products consumed orally, nasally, or through external use, without combustion. This definition explicitly includes pouches, snus, and chewing tobacco, but also oral strips and nicotine patches. The most significant change is the classification of smokeless products: these products are now treated as cigarettes or fine-cut tobacco, and therefore fall under China’s strict tobacco monopoly system, which entails tighter controls over production, branding, and distribution. In addition, the STMA places them in a “restricted” industrial category, where investments and production capacity may be subject to approval.